Traversing mechanism



' Dec 23, 1947. R. McK. STREAM TRAVERSING MECHANISM Filed Jan. 20, 19452 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. I 314L1 1; MBK. STREAM gammw ATTYS.

Patented Dec. 23, 1947 TRAVFBSING MECHANISM Ralph cKelvy Stream, Newark,Ohio, assignor to ens-Corning Fiberglas Corporation, a corporation ofDelaware Application J anon-r1 20, 1945, Serial No. 573,753

8 Claims. (Cl; 242'43) 1 This invention relates generally to packagingmaterial in strand form and refers more particularly to improvements inthe mechanism employed to traverse the'package with the strand. Informing certain types of fibers such, for

example, as continuous type glass fibers, it is cus-- tomary to gatherthe fibers into a strand and to wind the strand on a spool or somesimilar support. The process of winding'the strand on the spool involvesnumerous problems especially in commercial installations where windingspeeds of 20,000 revolutions per minute and more are desired muchmaterialas possible on a single spool. One of the major difdculties isto meet or approach these specifications and, at the same time, providea package which may be readily unwound during further processing of thestrand. These problems are especially critical when the strand is formedof glass fibers since the latter are usually coated with a lubricatingand binding material to reduce abrading' action between adjacent fibersand to hold th fibers in strand form. Inasmuch as the strand is beingformed and wound at a relatively high rate of speed, the lubricant andbinder is usually still in a wet ortacky condition when the strand iswound on the spool. As a result, there is a tendency of the adjacent andoverlying strands in the package to become bonded together by the binderso that, in effect, the completed. package is a solid mass of glassfibers bonded together. This makes it very diflicult, if not impossible,to unwind the package in the further processing of the strand.

The above problems are overcome to a great extent by employing atraversing mechanism of thegeneral type shown in the Beach applicationSerial No. 487,943, filed May 21, 1943, now Patent No. 2,391,870, datedJanuary 1, 1946. This traversing mechanism contemplates placing thestrand on the spool in large helixes so that the strands will cross eachother at relatively greatangles and thus eliminate much of the tendencyfor the convolutions of the strand to become tangled or bondedtogetherby the binder. .Ringers are thereby practically eliminated and thestrand may be readily removed for twisting, rewinding or such otherprocessing that may be required. Also with the above traversingmechanism the strand is positively moved back and forth along the'spool.This enables higher traversing speeds to be reached and results inobtaining a more uniformly wound package. In addition secondarytraversing mechanism is provided for reciprocating the primarytraversing mechanism to and where it is advantageous to wind as sult.

Ystantially along the line increase the width of the package beyond thenortraversing mechanism.

Although the traversing mechanism briefly outlined above is highlysatisfactory for winding material in strand form on a'spool at a veryhigh speed to produce a package capable at being easily unwound forfurther processin -evertheless; this general type of traversing mechnism limits the amount of material that can be wound on a single spoolat high speed without causing the strands at the extremities of thepackage to slip off these ends and become tangled.

With the above in view the present invention contemplates a traversingmechanism possessing all of the advantages of the traversing mechanismpreviously described with the further advantage that winding of thestrand on the spool is controlled at the ends of the package toeliminate any possibility of the strand building-up at these ends tosuch an extent that loose wrappings re- In accordance with thisinvention the location of successive traversing movements of thesecondary traverse relative to the spool are varied so that eachreversal of the secondary traverse takes place at a different point onthe spool. As a result, the opposite end portions of the package taperfrom the periphery of the package to the supporting surface of the spooland considerably more material may out the danger of the strand slippingoff the ends of the package in loose entangled coils and the formationof ringers.

Th above as well as otherobjects will be made more apparent as peciallywhen considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of a conventional fiber formingapparatus of the type in which the present invention is embodied;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of traversing mechanism embodyingthe features of the present invention and having certain parts brokenaway for the sake of clearness;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on the plane'indicatedby the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating the contour of the package formed bythe traversing mechanism forming the siibject matter of this invention;v

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional plan view of a part of thetraversing mechanism taken sub- 5-5 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a similar view of the construction be wound on the spoolwiththis description proceeds esf shown in Figure illustrating themechanism in an advanced position; and

Figure 7 is a vertical sectional view taken on I ing furnace adapted tocontain a quantity of molten glass and having a plurality of orifices atthe bottom thereof through which molten glass flows in the form ofstreams. The streams are attenuated into continuous fibers or filamentsII by means of a drum or spool I2 supported on a rotating spindle I3which is driven at the required rateof speed by any suitable mechanismnot shown herein.

The filaments or fibers I I are gathered to form a strand I4 by a guideI5 and the strand M is Wound around the spool I 3. The guide I5 may beany one of a number of accepted designs having means for applying asuitable lubricant and binder to the filaments I I as they are gatheredto form the strand I4.

As the strand I4 is drawn to the spool I2, it is traversed lengthwise ofthe spool by a primary traversing mechanism indicated generally in theseveral figures by the reference character I6. The traversing mechanismI6 is supported adjacent the spindle I3 in substantially verticalalignment with the path of the strand [4 and comprises a traverse shaftI7. The shaft I I is rotatable about an axis parallel to the axis of thespindle I3 and is driven by a suitable prime mover such as an electricmotor I8. 7;

The primary traversing mechanism I6 selected for the purpose ofillustration is identical in the principle of operation to the mechanismshown in the Beach application Serial No. 487,943, filed May 21, 1943,now Patent No. 2,391,870, dated January 1, 1946. Briefly this traversingmechanism comprises a pair of substantially spirally shapedcomplementary cam members I9 rotatable as a unit with the shaft I1 andcooperating with each other to positively move the strand I 4 inopposite directions along the spool I2. This positive traversing of thestrand enables higher traversing speeds to be reached and maintains asubstantially constant angular relation between the strand and packagewhich is desirable in that it prevents objectionable variations in thewinding tension.

It will further be noted that the above type of primary traversingmechanism enables winding the strand on the spool in large helixes sothat the strands will cross each other at large angles. This arrangementnot only eliminates much of the tendency of the strands to becomeentangled during the winding operation, but is especially desirable whenwinding newly formed glass fibers, since it reduces to a minimum thearea of contact of adjacent turns of the strand. Thus the effect of theabrasive action between the fibers forming the strand is also minimizedas well as the tendency of the overlying strands to adhere to eachother. The above features contribute materially to enabling the removalof the strand from the package for twisting, rewinding or such othersucceeding operations as may be required.

The primary traversing mechanism I6 is reciprocated by a secondarytraversing mechanism 28 to enable extending the width of the packagebeyond the normal travel of the strand produced by the cams I9. Thesecondary traversing mechanism 20 comprises a carriage 2| supported onrollers 22 for reciprocation in the general direction of the axis of thespool I2 or spindle I3 and aving a portion 23 for supporting the primarytraversing mechanism I6. As a result the primary traversing mechanism I6moves as a unit with the carriage 2| relative to the spool I2 and the.two mechanisms cooperate with one another to form a package of thegeneral configuration indicated in Figure 4 by the reference character24.

The carriage 2I is reciprocated by'means of a cam 25 driven by the motorI8 and having a continuous cam groove 28 in the periphery thereof. Thecam groove 28 is engaged by a follower 21 mounted on the carriag 2I sothat rotation of the cam affects a movement of the carriage and theprimary traversing mechanism I6 in. opposite directions along the spoolI2 throughout a dison the lower end of a vertical shaft 28 which isjournaled in the carriage 2| for rotation about an axis lying in acommon plane with the axis of rotation of the cam 25 and offsetlaterally with respect to the cam follower 21. Thus it will be notedthat the cam follower 21 is eccentrically mounted with respect to thecam of the cam follower 21 about the axis of the shaft 28 in effectprogressively varies the end points or limits of the throw of the cam25.

ratchet 30 comprises a ratchet wheel 3I secured to the upper end of theshaft 28 for movement as a unit with the carriage and is operated by apawl 32 pivotally supported on a fixed plate 33 As shown in Figures 5and 6, the

the ratchet wheel 3| is indexed shaft 28. Rotatron of the ratchet wheel3| affects a corresponding rotation of the eccentric follower 21 andslightly increases or decreases the extent of movement of the carriage2| or primary traversing mechanism I6 in the direction of the arrow 36,depending on whether the follower 21 is on the right or left of theshaft 28. As the carriage 2I moves in the opposite direction the pawl 32merely rides over the teeth 34 and rotation of the ratchet is preventedby a detent 31. The detent 31 is pivoted on the carriage and the freeend thereof is normally urged into engagement with the teeth 34 by meansof a spring 38.

It follows from the above that as the secondary traversing mechanism 20moves the primary traversing mechanism back and forth along the spoolI2, it also rotates the eccentricall y mounted cam follower 21 with astep by step'movement to vary the position of the paths of successivetraversing movements of the traversing mechanism 20 until one completerevolution of the follower 21 about the axis of the shaft 28 isobtained. This action eliminates anypossibillty of synchronous movementsbetween the secondary traversing mechanism and the operation of the camsI9, and produces a package having the general configuration indicated inFigure 4 of the drawings by the reference character 39. It will be notedfrom this figure that the ends of the package taper gradually to thesupporting surface of the tube I2 and form in effect a feather edge. Asa result; considerably more material may be wound on the tube l2 withoutthe danger of the material slipping oif the ends of the package andcausing loose wrappings,

which seriously interfere with unwinding the strand from the package. Itwill further be noted by comparing the two contours shown in Figure 4 ofthe drawings that the package resulting from the traversing mechanismforming the subject matter of this invention is much more uniform andthis is also conducive to facilitating unwinding the strand from thepackage,

'While in describing this invention particular stress has been placed onone specific type of 5. Apparatus for packaging material in strand formincluding means for supplying a strand, a rotatable spool adapted forwinding the strand into package form, a, pair of complementary cammembers alternately engageable with the strand to move it back and forthalong the spool,

. means for reciprocating the cam members relprimary traversingmechanism, nevertheless it will be apparent thatany accepted type oftraversing mechanism may be used in connection with the secondarytraversing mechanism. In fact the primary traversing mechanism may beeliminated entirely, if desired, and, accordingly, such changes may beresorted to as may come within the purview of the accompanying claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for packaging material in strand form including means forsupplying a strand, a-

rotatable spool adapted for winding the strand into package form, amember supported for rerotatable spool adapted for winding the strandinto package form, a member supported for reciprocation in the generaldirection of the axis of the spool and having means engageable with thestrand for moving the latter back and forth along the spoolindependently of said reciprocating movement, and means responsive tomovement of the member in one direction to vary the location of thepaths of successive traversing movements of the member relative to thespool and thereby provide the package with opposite ends which tapergradually to the periphery ofv the spool.

3. Apparatus for packaging material in strand form including means forsupplying a strand,- a rotatable spool adapted for winding the strandinto package form, a pair of individual complementary cam membersalternately engageable with the strand to move it back and forth alongthe spool, means for reciprocating the cam'members relative to the spoolin the general direction of the axis of the latter, and means forvarying the location of the paths of successive movements of thereciprocating means relative to the spool to taper the opposite ends ofthe package to the periphery of the spool."

4. Apparatus for packaging material Instrand form including means forsupplying a strand, a rotatable spool adapted for winding the strandinto package form, rotatable primary traversing means for moving thestrand back and forth along the spool, and means ior'reciprocating thetraversing means in the general direction of the axis of the spoolincluding a cam and an eccentric follower cooperating with the cam tovary the location of the paths of successive movements of the traversingmeans relative to the spool.

ative to the spool in the general direction of the axis of the latterincluding a rotatable cam and an eccentric follower engageable with thecam, and means operable in timed relation to the reciprocable movementof the traversing cam members to rotate the eccentric relative to thecam with a step by step motion in a direction to vary the location ofthe paths of successive movements of the traversing cam members relativeto the spool.

6, Apparatus for packaging material in strand form including means forsupplying a strand, a rotatable spool adapted for winding the strandinto package form, rotatable primary traversing means for moving thestrand back and forth along the spool, means for reciprocating theprimary traversing means in the general direction of the axis of thespool including a cam, and means operable in timed relation toreciprocation of the primary traversing means for increasing theeffective throw of the cam to vary the location of the paths ofsuccessive movements of the traversing means relative to the spool andthereby provide the package with gradually tapered opposite endportions. i

7. Apparatus for packaging material in strand form including means forsupplying a strand, a rotatable spool adapted for winding the strandinto package form, primary traversing means for moving the strand backand forth along the spool, means for reciprocating the primarytraversing means in the general direction of the axis of the spool, andmeans operated by the traversing means upon movement of the latter inone direction relative to the spool to vary the location of the paths ofsuccessive movements of the primary traversing means relative to thespool and thereby provide the package with tapered opposite endportions.

8. Apparatus for packaging material in strand form including means forsupplying a strand, a rotatable spool adapted for winding the strandinto package form, traversing means for moving the strand back and forthalong the spool, means for reciprocating the traversing means in the Igeneral direction of the axis of the spool including a cam having anannular groove, a follower engageable in the'cam groove andeccentrically mounted with respect to the cam, and means operated by thetraversing means as the latter moves in one direction relative to thespool to rotate the eccentric with a step by step motion to vary thelocationof the paths of successive movements of the traversing meansrelative to the spool.

RALPH MCKELVY STREAM.

REFERENCES crrnp The following references are of record in the flle ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,770,397 Furness July 15, 19301.926.081 Brenzinger 'Sept. 12, 1933 2,194,950 Miesch Mar. 26, 1940

